STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island elected officials continue to weigh in on the national debate on renewing a federal ban on assault weapons in the wake of the horrific mass shooting in a Connecticut elementary school last week.

He also announced that Vice President Joe Biden would head a White House task force to formulate proposals to be unveiled at the president's State of the Union address next month.

Assemblyman Michael Cusick and Councilwoman Debi Rose said they favor an outright ban on assault weapons like the kind used by mass murderer Adam Lanza at Sandy Hook Elementary School, while Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said she would be inclined to support such a ban.

Assemblyman-elect Joe Borelli did not directly respond to the assault ban question, but issued a statement saying that "no single law will stop" such violence.

Said Cusick (D-Mid-Island): "I think the federal government should extend the ban. It is something that we need to put back on the table. When you hear the horror of what happened, the senseless killing, there are no words to describe it."

"I fully support strengthening and making permanent a federal assault weapons ban," said Ms. Rose (D-North Shore) in a statement. "This common sense measure will prevent the further sale of what President Obama called 'weapons of war' and the high capacity magazine rounds that go with them. These weapons were designed for mass killing, not for hunting or self-defense, and they have no place in our homes. Any suggestion that the Second Amendment somehow protects the right to own such violent weapons is beyond a stretch. Further, we need to make certain that the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban goes into effect without any loopholes that would allow the gun industry to get around, an issue with the 1994 version of the ban signed into law by President Clinton."

In tandem with that, Ms. Rose said Congress should "prohibit the sale of semi-automatic guns, high capacity magazine rounds, mandate strict background checks and waiting periods for all gun sales ... and examine our current culture of violence."

"There is no reason why we should have assault weapons on the street," said Ms. Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn). "But they would need to be banned federally. In New York, we have tough laws, but these weapons can be acquired out of state. I am a supporter of the Second Amendment. But I don't see the purpose in allowing citizens to acquire assault weapons. I would be inclined to support it."

Said Borelli (R-South Shore) in a statement: "I will echo what the president said in that the causes of school shootings are complex and that no single law will stop it. I hope that Vice President Biden is prepared to have an open and honest discussion about the root of these tragedies. I also hope the NRA will live up to its commitment to make a 'meaningful contribution' to the effort to curb school shootings. That said, I am suspect of any rush to pass legislation within a few days of a national tragedy without an examination of the policy's past success. I am certain that this debate will be extremely divisive and polarizing in the coming months, and I hope we can remain united in our national grief as we memorialize the Newtown victims."